Trial by Fire
by moosey16
Summary: When Azula intercedes to save Jet from death in Ba Sing Se, she tells him that he can either serve her or suffer her wrath. While Jet originally refuses, he soon realizes that the only way to escape with his life is to play along.
1. A Fiery Ultimatum

Okay. So here's the deal:

I found this story saved on my computer with almost five chapters already completed. I reread it today and decided that I might as well post it here so it's not just sitting there collecting dust. I have been busy lately, but I'm willing to write more if you guys like it. I'm thinking that I'll upload the chapters that I already have about a week apart and then decide where to go from there.

I would appreciate reviews with both constructive criticism and ideas for where to take this story.

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER ONE: A FIERY ULTIMATUM**

_Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogi._

That one, simple sentence was all that it took to change the young freedom fighter's life forever. He didn't remember very much of what happened that night under Lake Laogi, but Jet did remember those words. As slowly and surely as a bell ringing in the darkness, the words resounded throughout the inner reaches of his brain. He didn't even remember what they meant.

Adding to the list of things that he didn't know, Jet didn't know where he was. His eyes were closed, and there was no light on the other side of his eyelids. It felt like he was lying flat on his back on some kind of stiff mattress. Rough sheets had been pulled over his body, and his chest had been bandaged. He could tell by the feel of the cloth around him that he was missing his shirt. He did, however, seem to be wearing pants.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the roof of the small, cave-like room that he'd been laid in. The bed took up much of the space, and there was a small lamp on a small table at his bedside. The light that it produced was dim and weak, but it was enough for him to get a handle on his surroundings.

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain beneath his bandages stopped him in his tracks. Crying out involuntarily, he clutched at his chest and laid back down, breathing heavily. Whatever he'd been through the night before had left him wounded pretty badly.

"Don't try to sit up," came a voice from somewhere inside the room. "You'll only hurt yourself."

Startled, Jet looked around the room again quickly. Previously, he had failed to notice the figure at the foot of his bed, though he couldn't imagine how. She was silhouetted against the wall, the faint lighting illuminating only her outline. Her voice was not one that he recognized, and there was a single chord in it that mocked him.

"Who are you?" he grunted through a dry throat. How long had it been since he'd had a drink of water?

"If you must know," the stranger began in that characteristic drawl of hers, the one that made people feel like they were wasting her time, "I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation."

His reaction was immediate. He may not have remembered what happened to him, but he _did_ remember that he hated the Fire Nation with all of his heart for what they did to him. Without pausing to think, he flew into a sitting position and reached out toward his visitor like it was his intention to grab her throat and throttle her. However, he didn't get very far before the pain in his chest forced him to double over and cry out. He hated himself for being so weak.

The Fire Princess laughed a ringing laugh that scorned him with every one of its musical notes. "I already told you, Jet. Don't try to get up. You'll only hurt yourself. And wouldn't that be a shame? I worked very hard to fix you again. I would really hate it to have done all that work for nothing."

Jet groaned and raised his head so that he could look at her head on. He still couldn't see her very well, but he could make out her lips, twisted with amused derision, as she looked at him. "Where am I?" he demanded, the first of many questions.

"Under Lake Laogi," Azula answered.

"The Dai Li?" asked Jet.

"They obey my orders now," was the princess' cool reply.

"Why?" Jet wanted to know.

"Long Feng couldn't handle the heat," she responded, amused by her own pun.

"And the city?" Jet persisted.

"Taken by the Fire Nation," Azula answered smugly.

"What happened to me?" he wondered.

"Irrelevant," stated the princess.

"Why did you heal me?" he asked.

"Not me," she corrected. "I had the best healers in Ba Sing Se fix you up because I believe that you may prove to be of some value to me."

Jet was silent as he contemplated everything that the Fire Lord's daughter had told him. He was in some room underneath Lake Laogi, which was now controlled, along with the rest of Ba Sing Se, by the Fire Nation because some spoiled brat had taken down Long Feng, leader of the Dai Li. Something had happened to him, something that the princess didn't want to tell him but had rendered him seriously injured. Whether by her father's wishes or those of her own, she had seen to it that he be healed. She thought that he 'may prove to be of some value' to her.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to slowly fall back onto the bed. Some of the pain in his chest subsided, only to be replaced by a dull throbbing beneath the skin. "I won't help the Fire Nation," he answered weakly. To do anything to help out the Fire Nation would be to aid his enemy, the very enemy that he had sought revenge against for so long. He wouldn't –couldn't- do it.

"You do realize," countered the princess, "that a refusal to do as I say often equates to death."

Jet shook his head stubbornly. "I don't care."

"Very well," Azula snapped, turning around and resting a hand on the doorknob. "But I think that you'll come around eventually, Jet. In these next weeks to come, you will find that I can be very persuasive. It will do you well to remember who you're dealing with. I saved your life, you know. I would have no qualms about taking it away."

Her exit, accompanied by an equally dramatic door slam, left Jet alone in the darkness. His life had been threatened before. He didn't think that this time was any different. There was nothing that she could say that would make him change his mind. He sighed heavily, then closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep again, the throbbing ache in his chest serving as a painful lullaby.

Azula came to visit him again about an hour after he woke up.

"How are you feeling now, Jet?" she asked, though both her voice and Jet's previous conversation with her implied that she was not as concerned as she tried to appear. It was a ruse, a rather pathetic attempt to win his favor.

"A little better, I suppose," Jet answered truthfully. After sleeping through the night –or he guessed it was through the night- he found that he could sit up with a little bit less pain than before. As a matter of fact, he had managed to push himself into a sitting position with his back against the wall just a few minutes before the Fire Princess walked unannounced into his sick room.

"Glad to hear it," she purred, crossing her arms over her chest. "Have you given any more thought to my proposition?"

Jet narrowed his eyes. If that was all that she had come here for, then she could leave. He only wished that he could see a little better. The lighting was the same as it had been during their previous meeting. "I'm not changing my mind, Azula."

"Oh, what a shame," she cooed. "If you don't mind my asking, I would like to know why you're so adamant in your refusal. Don't you realize that helping me could be the best decision of your puny little life?"

"The Fire Nation murdered my parents!" he shot back, angry not only at past injustices but at this girl's blatant mockery of his opinions and beliefs. "To help you would be to betray them and everything that I've stood for. I won't betray the people that I love."

When she spoke again, Azula's voice had a hard edge to it. "Even if they're dead?"

"Yes," Jet answered without a question.

"It's a shame then," Azula replied, the playful menace restored, "that you already have. Don't you remember, Jet? Don't you remember what happened when you tried to lead the Avatar to his lost bison? Don't you remember attacking the airbender yourself?"

As if brought back from an obscure chamber of his mind at the princess' words, that all too familiar phrase sounded once more in his head.

_Jet, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogi._

Confused and tortured by the truth of Azula's taunting, Jet brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes as if the action could somehow block the sentence from his mind. He couldn't remember, but somehow he knew that what his unwelcome visitor said was true. He groaned inwardly, disgusted with himself, and heard the Fire Princess laugh from the doorway as she left.

Things proceeded in this manner for some time; Jet thought that it was five days, assuming that Azula only visited him once a day. Each time she came in, she asked him how he was feeling, and he responded in the same way every time. She expressed her contentment with his recovery and then asked if he had given any more thought to her proposal. His answer never changed. He would not aid the Fire Nation of his own free will. He would rather die.

When the Fire Princess was absent, Jet spent his time trying to remember what had happened to him that. Slowly, he felt the memories coming back to him in flashes, images and vague feelings. He remembered Katara and the Avatar, and he remembered what Azula had said about trying to help them find Appa. Always, however, he remembered that eerie sentence; without fail, it was at the forefront of his memories. Yet, he could not dredge up its meaning or significance.

In addition to his attempts at recollecting the past, Jet tested his physical limits. As time passed in that dark room, his strength returned to him and his pain subsided. Soon, he could sit up without trouble and shortly after that he came to his feet and left the bed. He paced around the small chamber anxiously, and one time he tried to open the door but found it locked. By the fourth day, he had started going through some routine exercises to keep himself in shape. Of course, he was limited by space and wished that his hooked swords hadn't been confiscated, but he made the most of the time and strength he had. If the princess tried to kill him for his refusal, then he would go down fighting.

When Azula came in on the sixth day, Jet was sitting on the edge of his bed thinking about what that mysterious phrase could possibly mean. A woman had just been by to remove his bandages, and she had also given him a shirt to wear. The princess lingered in the doorway that time, whereas before she had always come to stand at the foot of his bed. Jet looked at her curiously and thought he detected a bit of annoyance in her expression, which usually seemed so serene and cool. He couldn't be sure, however. The dim lighting prevented him from seeing her very well at all. In fact, he didn't really know what she looked like.

"I have news for you today, Jet," she announced. "This afternoon, we're returning to the Fire Nation."

"Good riddance," Jet snapped in reply. "As much as I've enjoyed your death threats, I can't say that I'll miss your visits."

Azula sighed, irritated by his apparent misunderstanding. "No, Jet. You see, I've taken a bit of a special interest in you. I'm bringing you back to the Fire Nation with me. Did you really think that I wouldn't see my threats through? You really should reconsider your answer. I'm afraid that Fire Nation prisons are not as… quaint… as those here in Ba Sing Se."

Alarmed, Jet stared at her in disbelief. In his opinion, the Fire Nation itself was something to be avoided at all costs. Going there would be walking right into the belly of the beast. "You are not serious," he stammered, jumping to his feet.

"Oh, I'm serious," Azula answered, amused by his obvious aversion to journeying to the Fire Nation in chains. "I lie about a lot of things, but this time I'm telling the truth." Two men appeared in the doorway behind the princess, and she turned to leave them with him. "Remember, Jet," she called from the corridor. "I could make you great if you would only let me."

When she was gone, the two men she'd left, members of the Dai Li, converged upon him in spite of his vocal protests, which included a multifarious slew of swear words. They bound his hands with their earthbending, then dragged him out of his cell and down the hall in the direction in which Azula had disappeared. Jet struggled against them all the way, but they were stronger than he was. He blamed it on his mysterious injury, the one which he could not yet remember.


	2. An Insidious Alternative

So, yes. I know I said one week apart, but I'm weak. Haha. This chapter is short by my standards, but the other ones I already have written are longer. Don't worry.

I appreciate the two reviews I already got for last chapter. Thanks, guys. :)

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER TWO: AN INSIDIOUS ALTERNATIVE**

He learned soon enough that they would be taking a ship back to the Fire Nation capital, where Azula would undoubtedly continue her twisted questioning and probably supplement it with a taste of torture. While the princess traveled to the sea in style, carried on a litter by a small group of servants, Jet was transported like an animal, chained and forced to walk at the rear of the procession. The parade continued in that manner for several days; Jet wasn't really counting. Even though he loathed being treated like a criminal, he was content to be outside again. It had been a while since he had last seen the sun, and it was blinding after his days in the dim light of Lake Laogi.

As soon as the party reached the sea, however, Jet was deprived once again of the light of day. He was contained in the lower levels of the ship where he was a locked in a room only slightly larger and more comfortable than the tiny chamber beneath Lake Laogi where he'd recovered and first been confronted by the arrogant Fire Princess Azula. This room, however, was much better lit than his cell in the Earth Kingdom. No longer would he be forced to live like a mole.

One night after he had finished his meager ration of food, Azula came to visit him once more. She came into the room and closed the door behind her. For the first time since he'd met her, Jet could see the princess clearly, and he was surprised by what he saw. Because she delighted so much in antagonizing and teasing him, Jet had imagined an ugly creature, like an old witch, but now he saw that she was beautiful. Her dark hair was pulled up in what he assumed was a traditional Fire Nation style. Her red lips were pulled into an imperious smirk, and her golden eyes sparkled with villainous delight.

His surprise must have been evident on his face because she noticed and commented on it. "Oh, Jet," she sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "I know that every boy likes a pretty girl, but I would imagine that someone like you, with such a deep-seated hatred of the Fire Nation, would be a little bit better at concealing his thoughts when in the presence of the Fire Lord's daughter."

In response, Jet glared at her from across the room. He crossed his arms over his chest defiantly and snapped back, "What do you want now? If you only came down here to ask me if I changed my mind, then you're wasting your time."

Azula laughed, shaking her head at his stubbornness. "I like you, Jet," she purred. "It's very rare that I get to waste my time with a rebel like you. Because I like you so much, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't want to kill you. Do you believe it? There are a lot of people that I want to kill, your friends with the Avatar, for example. What I wouldn't give to get to that Water Tribe girl…"

Jet stepped toward her angrily, like he was going to attack her. "Don't you dare lay a hand on Katara," he growled.

Azula smiled devilishly, raising her gaze to meet his eyes. "And what could you possibly do if I did, Jet?" she teased. Those golden orbs mocked him when he looked at them, and he looked down instead, his resolve faltering under her indomitable will. When he didn't answer, she laughed and went on, "As I was saying, I would really like for you to change your mind. My brother's told me a lot about you, and I think that we could work very well together."

Jet looked at her again, more confused than angry this time. "Your brother?"

"Oh, yes," she answered casually. "Maybe you'll remember my uncle better… fat old man with an uncanny liking for tea? My brother, Prince Zuko, was the boy with the scar. Unless he's been telling lies, you two had at least one adventure together."

Jet clenched his hand into a fist, remembering _exactly_ what Azula was talking about. He'd known all along that those two were Fire Nation people, but nobody else had believed him. It was so frustrating that he just wanted to scream. However, knowing that Azula would only gain more satisfaction if he outwardly showed his irritation, he restrained himself. "I won't help you," he said through gritted teeth. "That's my final answer."

Azula sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at this old routine. "How much do you know about me, Jet?" she asked, choosing to pursue a new angle.

Jet was a bit taken back by the abrupt change of subject, and he didn't know how to respond to such an inquiry. How much did he know about the Fire Nation princess? Frankly, he knew next to nothing about her. All he knew was that she was Fire Lord Ozai's daughter. He hadn't even known that the Fire Lord _had_ a daughter until she had introduced herself. However, that wouldn't be a very good answer. "I know that you're nothing but a spoiled brat who enjoys manipulating people and thinks that she can always have things her way," he retorted. It was a futile attempt to insult her.

Azula clicked her tongue like a teacher dealing with a particularly troublesome child. "You're right about all those things," she answered with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders. "But I'm also one of the most gifted firebenders in the world. Tell me, Jet… have you ever been struck by lightning?"

Jet furrowed his brow, unable to connect a lightning strike in the past to the arrogant princess in front of him. "No," he replied.

Things happened very quickly after that. Azula fell back into a fighting stance, like she was going to firebend at him. Instinctively, Jet settled into a defensive stance, only to find that he was missing his swords. Azula smiled, and a second later struck, sending a bolt of blue lightning into the wall behind his head.

Shocked, Jet gaped at the damaged hull. Where the lightning had collided with the metal, there was a very precise burn mark. Mouth and eyes wide open, he turned slowly back to look at Azula, whose expression was of nothing but derisive contempt. "If you don't change your mind soon, Jet," she announced menacingly. "You're going to find out what it feels like." Then, she left.

After she closed (and locked) the door behind her, Jet merely stood there dumbly, frozen to the spot and staring open-mouthed at the spot where she'd struck the wall with _lightning_. Never, ever had he ever heard stories of firebenders being able to produce _lightning_. Staring at the burn mark, he imagined how much it would hurt to be struck by lightning, just like Azula had threatened. After a minute or so, he blinked and shivered, knocking himself out of the spell that the Fire Princess had put on him.

Collapsing on the bed, Jet contemplated his next move. Just as was intended, Azula's demonstration had convinced him to rethink his self-proclaimed death sentence. Before that visit, her killing him had been nothing but an abstract concept, something off in the future. Now that he'd seen just how much damage she could do, it had become a very real consequence, one that he just wasn't ready to accept. One of Jet's main goals in life was to survive. He wasn't sure anymore that standing up to the Fire Nation was worth dying in such a terrible way.

He closed his eyes rather than stare at the red walls emblazoned with the Fire Nation insignia. He didn't want to die, and he didn't want to serve the Fire Nation. Therefore, it only stood to reason that he take the third door: escape. However, escape was impossible when he was locked up all the time. The only person who ever came to visit him was Azula. She was probably the only one with the key. He sighed heavily, realizing that he was, at least for a time, going to have to play her game.

Or at least manipulate her into thinking that he was going to play her game. Bratty daughter of the Fire Lord or not, she was a girl. In his lifetime, Jet had flirted with many girls to get his way. It was true that Azula was not going to break like Katara, but he was confident that he could do it in the end. As he lay there in his cell on a Fire Nation ship bound for the homeland, his trademark crooked grin appeared on his face for the first time since he'd woken up underneath Lake Laogi.

He was going to seduce Princess Azula.


	3. A Lucky Assignment

All right. You guys have convinced me to nix the one week thing-at least as far as my already written chapters are concerned. To be honest, I'm eager to post the rest myself. Your reviews have been amazingly encouraging, so please don't stop leaving them!

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER THREE: A LUCKY ASSIGNMENT**

As if she had somehow caught wind of his nascent plan, Princess Azula didn't come to visit him again until after they had returned to the Fire Nation. Jet didn't know what kept her, but she obviously could not have figured out what he was planning. Not even a princess who could bend lightning could read minds. Maybe she was otherwise occupied with the crew, or maybe she merely intended to give him ample time to mull over the thought of being struck by lightning. He would probably never know the reason for the hiatus in her visits.

She had spoken the truth back in Ba Sing Se when she had told him that Fire Nation prisons weren't as accommodating as the ones in the Earth Kingdom. While his new cell was much better lit than the small cubicle under Lake Laogi, he had neither privacy nor a comfortable bed –both of which he had both in Ba Sing Se and on the princess' ship. He had a rickety cot with as extremely thin mattress and a threadbare blanket. (Though, the prison was far too hot for him to need it anyway.) Iron bars exposed his room to a stone corridor, where helmeted guards paced back and forth at all hours of the day and night. He could no longer do his exercises unnoticed.

Azula, however, came to see him again shortly after their arrival in the Fire Nation. She sent the guards away –either because they annoyed Her Highness or because she just didn't want anyone to hear her threatening the prisoners with a lightning bolt to the head. She came right up to the bars, standing there with her hands on her hips –the picture of confidence. Jet went to meet her, glad only for the promise of conversation with another human being.

"Did you miss me, Jet?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at his apparent eagerness to speak to her.

"Well," he replied, deciding that it was time to turn on the charm. "You are much prettier than the other guards I've seen around here. I don't really care for… men."

"Oh please," Azula snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring up at him. "Save the flattery for someone who cares. I don't have time to beat around the bush tonight, so I'm just going to cut right to the chase. Has my ultimatum changed your answer, or are you still ready to die rather than help me?"

Jet, taken aback by her brusque dismissal of his flirting, took a deep breath. If he wanted her to believe that her lightning threats had changed his mind, he needed to sound suitably troubled by his change of heart. After all, helping the Fire Nation was against everything he'd ever believed –though he still couldn't remember everything that happened under Lake Laogi. "Yes," he said, breathing out heavily. "I'll do whatever you want. As much as I hate everything you stand for, I'm a survivor before anything else."

Azula raised her eyebrows, unable to mask her original surprise. Apparently, she hadn't expected him to agree so easily. For just a moment, Jet wondered if he wasn't convincing enough, but quickly dismissed the thought. If he had any doubt, she would pick it up and exploit it. Jet watched as she smiled, that evil, manipulative smile that was somehow extremely attractive. "I thought so," she purred. "I think I can change your opinion of my country. A little work in its name ought to work like a charm."

He came closer to the iron barrier that separated the two of them and looked down at her. The princess raised her head to meet his gaze. "Only if I get to stay near you," he said softly, reaching for her chin with his fingers. As soon as he touched her, however, she stepped back abruptly.

"If only you could be so lucky," she retorted, giving him a curious look. If she hadn't always been so in control of herself, Jet might have thought that she didn't know what to make of him or what to do with him. He smiled that crooked smile that girls seemed to love, but it vanished when she started to walk away, headed down the corridor and already calling for the guards to come back.

"Wait!" Jet yelled, pressing himself against the bars so that he could watch her go. "Aren't you going to let me out?" That had been the deal, hadn't it? She would let him out and not kill him if he agreed to help the Fire Nation?

Azula laughed, turning around and pausing mid-step. "Maybe in a few days –after my father decides what best to do with you. I hope you enjoy prison food, Jet!" Then, she was gone, and his usual guards returned.

Grinding his teeth angrily, Jet shouted in frustration and shook the metal bars of his cell as hard as he could. Unfortunately, the iron was pretty much unmovable, so the action barely had the desired effect. If he hadn't been afraid of breaking his hand, he would have punched one of the stone walls that enclosed him. Instead, he settled for kicking his cot, and the frail thing broke from the force of his foot colliding with it. The imprisoned warrior swore in aggravation. Not only would he be stuck in the damned cell for another few days, but he would also be sleeping on the ground. Wonderful.

Jet waited anxiously for Azula's next visit to his prison cell, but it never came. The Fire Princess apparently had better things to do than taunt prisoners in her spare time. He was always thinking about her; he thought about her so much that she replaced that night under Lake Laogi in his dreams. Now, when he dreamed, it was always about Princess Azula –and only a few of them involved strangling her.

He spent those days after Azula drifting in and out of sleep on the cold floor of the cell. He didn't antagonize the guards even though it was in his nature to do so, and he took his meals silently, eating everything that was offered to him even if the morsel wasn't particularly palatable. He wondered when Azula when let him out and prayed that, when she did, his assigned task would be neither too hard nor too humiliating. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Azula. Oddly enough, whenever he imagined himself working for the Fire Nation, he was near the arrogant, manipulative Fire Princess.

Finally, he was released from his prison –but not by Azula. Apparently, that was work too lowly for a princess and more suited to a common guard. His hands were bound tightly behind his back to prevent him from attacking anyone, and he was led silently out of the prison to the palace itself. They brought him in through a series of back passageways and staircases designed to keep the more undesirable servants out of view of the royal family and their guests. As they made their way through the labyrinth, Jet tried to keep track of the turns and stairways that they took on their way to his destination in case he ever had the opportunity to escape, but he lost track of the pattern after the fourth left. Silently, he cursed himself for it; it seemed that he was losing his edge, getting lazy.

The guards left him about fifteen minutes after they took him from his cell. Jet looked around at his surroundings curiously, finding himself in a room that seemed to be the bedchamber of someone very important. As was Fire Nation style, the décor of the room was made entirely from shades of red, accented with Fire Nation insignias. An impressive painting of Fire Lord Ozai occupied one wall. As far as furnishings went, there was a large, lavish bed, a fire place, an elegant couch and a desk on which were laid a series of papers that looked like military reports.

All alone in the bedroom of some high-ranking Fire Nation noble, Jet allowed himself to jump to conclusions about his 'assignment'. Apparently, he was to become the servant of one of Fire Lord Ozai's generals, or maybe to Prince Zuko himself. At the mere thought of him, Jet's skin began to crawl. He had known that _Li_ was Fire Nation from the start, but nobody had believed him.

Someone cleared their throat behind him, and Jet spun around immediately to see who it was that he would be serving for as long as it took to figure out how to escape. Standing in the doorway to the adjoining bathroom was Princess Azula, and she was not wearing her usual, military-style clothing but a very feminine silk robe. Her black hair was down rather than pulled into a bun, and Jet had to admit that she looked more beautiful than any other girl he'd ever seen. His expression was of nothing but utter and complete shock.

Azula smiled and laughed at him. "What's wrong, Jet?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and turning up her nose at him. "Not who you expected?"

Hardly, considering Jet had been expecting to see her brother or anyone else but _her_. "No," he managed to say before regaining his composure. "I thought you said I'd be lucky if I got to see you," he reminded her.

Azula shrugged her shoulders and dismissed her previous words with a casual wave of her hand. "I thought you'd be happy to see me again, Jet," _she_ reminded _him_. "After all, aren't I 'much prettier than the other guards'?" She was playing with him, Jet realized, and he was somewhat amused by it. "Isn't that what you said the other day? I do have a good memory, don't I?"

Jet nodded, though he didn't dare approach her just yet. She was the Fire Nation Princess, after all, and he was in her bedchamber. It was true that he was an incurable flirt, but there were some boundaries that he was reluctant to cross so soon. "I did say that, and I meant it," he answered calmly. If he had anything to say about it, she wouldn't be catching him by surprise again anytime soon.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Azula replied, responding to the compliment with nothing more than a bat of her eyelashes, "because we're going to be spending a lot of time together from now on. My father has decided that _I _get to decide what to do with you because I got along so well with you when I visited you in prison. The Fire Lord is sure that I can use you to our advantage, so I talked to my brother about you, and he seems to be under the impression that you're quite the fighter even though you have no bending ability whatsoever."

"So what are you going to do with me?" Jet demanded, having no taste for her manner of dodging her point and beating around the bush. "I'm more than a common soldier."

She laughed again, but this time it was a laugh that was clearly meant to tease him. "Don't be silly; I know that," she told him. "You are going to be my personal servant, and you are going to do everything that I say without a complaint. If I say 'jump'… ?"

"I tell you that you can do your jumping on your own," Jet retorted, crossing his arms over his chest and facing her squarely. Yes, he was grateful for the opportunity to spend his sentence in the presence of such a pretty and amusing girl, but he intended to make it clear that he was not a push over, not even for her.

Azula frowned at his response –clearly, it was not what she had wanted him to say. Hands on her hips, she approached him, but Jet held his ground even though he remembered all too clearly the day that she'd demonstrated her advanced level of firebending. "Usually I like my servants silent and obedient to the last word," she informed him pointedly, "but, for some reason, I find that I like you better when you think for yourself."

Jet couldn't help it; he broke out into a big grin and reached out to gently stroke Azula's pale cheek. Immediately, she grabbed his hand, twisting his fingers and making it quite clear that she didn't want him touching her. "Try that again and I'll burn them right off," she hissed.

"Sorry!" Jet said automatically, throwing his free hand up in mock surrender and trying to extricate his other one from her vice grip. Somehow or another, he got his fingers back and started checking them for burn marks. Azula glared at him, but Jet found himself smiling back at her. "It seems like someone's prone to overreacting," he observed, perhaps a little foolishly.

Ignoring him, Azula turned her back on him and took a few steps away from him. Jet followed him, intent on playing this game. "You will accompany me wherever I go –within reason, of course. I've arranged for you to have the room next to this one. Every morning-," she began, then turned around and cut herself off when she found him so close to her again.

Jet grinned and took the opportunity to interject. "It sounds like you want me as your bodyguard," he observed, looking down at her smugly.

"Do I look like I need a bodyguard?" she demanded, perhaps with more volume than was necessary.

Jet really didn't want to answer that because, right at that moment, looking like she did that morning, the princess _did_ look like she needed a bodyguard. At least, she didn't look like the fearsome firebender who could bend lightning to her will and threaten prisoners with it so easily. Sure, she just exuded a sense of power, but he doubted her physical ability to protect herself from the likes of the Avatar. However, he _knew_ what she was capable of and had fully intended that comment to be a joke. "You know what, princess," he said instead, "I think you take yourself too seriously. You need to relax."

Not at all pleased with his answer, Azula chose to ignore it and turned her back on him again. "Every morning," she went on, "you will get dressed in your own room and then wait for me just outside my door. You will accompany me to breakfast and wherever else I decide to go that day. You will do whatever I ask, including fight for me if the situation calls for it."

"If I'm going to fight," Jet pointed out, right behind her, "I'll need my swords back."

Azula shook her head and turned around again, looking up at him. "Do you think I'm stupid, Jet? You're not getting any weapons at all until I know that you're sincere about helping me out. I can't trust you yet."

Jet gritted his teeth, trying not to show her how much that irked him. Yes, he had been dumb to assume that she would give him his swords back so easily after she'd manipulated him into agreeing to help the Fire Nation in prison. He knew that she wasn't stupid; he was going to have to convince her that he wasn't going to double-cross her, even though that was exactly what he planned to do. "Of course," he managed as a terse reply.

Azula smiled again, seeing that she had succeeded in getting to him. Amused, she cocked her head to the side and said, "Now be a good boy and go put on some presentable clothes. You're the next door over; wait for me outside."

Jet obeyed. The room next door was not nearly as large and luxurious as the one that belonged to Princess Azula, but that really was what he had expected. After all, he couldn't possibly merit the same extravagance as the Fire Lord's daughter; he was just a humble servant. He spat at the thought. He hated the Fire Nation all his life. Now that he was in the belly of the beast, he only hated it more. He found the clothes that Azula wanted him to wear without a problem –they were laid out on his bed. He put on the military-style uniform quickly, grimacing at the thought of wearing anything made by the Fire Nation, then went outside to wait for his master.

Standing outside her door as she got dressed, Jet was tempted to peek, but he restrained himself. She was a very attractive girl, yes, but she had the power to zap him to a crisp with one movement of her hand. He wasn't interested in getting her too angry.

When Azula emerged from her room, she had become once again not only the Fire Lord's daughter but also the most prodigious firebender that Jet had ever encountered. Dressed once more in that military-style outfit, _this_ Azula certainly did not need a bodyguard. She gave him a quick once over but made no comment about his new clothes. Instead, all that she said was, "Come on. I'm hungry."


	4. A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

So, this is the last chapter that I already have completely finished. Most of the next one is done as well, but updates probably really will be weekly after this. Thanks again for everyone's encouraging reviews.

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER FOUR: A LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY**

Neither one of them spoke on the way to the dining room. Jet was busy trying to memorize the way from his new room to their new destination, and he was determined not to screw up this time. If he was going to escape, it was imperative that he learn his way around the palace. He definitely didn't want to be dependent on Azula all the time. He wanted to impress her and gain her trust so that he could get his swords back. That wasn't going to happen if he had to admit at some point that he didn't know where in the palace he was going.

The dining room was grander than Azula's bedroom, but, again, that was what Jet had been expecting. Everything in the room, walls and floor included but excluding the table and chairs, was a deep shade of crimson accented by gilded decorations. The table was looked like it was made of mahogany, and the chairs were fashioned to match flawlessly. Jet was pretty sure that the table itself was bigger than the new room Azula had arranged for him, and it was definitely designed to seat many more than the small group showing up for breakfast that day.

Aside from Prince Zuko, the boy Jet had known as Li, he and Azula were the only ones in the room –well, aside from the servers. Azula's brother looked up when Jet walked in, and Jet was certain that he wouldn't have recognized Li if it hadn't been for that unmistakable scar marring the left side of his face. If Zuko resented him for seeing through the Earth Kingdom disguise of a refugee, he didn't let it show. The prince's face was devoid of emotion when he looked at Jet.

"Good morning, Zuzu," Azula purred at her brother as she took the seat across from him.

"Don't call me that," Zuko muttered half-heartedly in response, turning back to his breakfast.

"Zuzu?" Jet repeated, a grin growing on his lips. "You know, that's funny, _Li_, I don't remember ever hearing anyone call you that before."

Zuko glared at him but said nothing, and Azula clicked her tongue admonishingly. "Come now, Jet. Play nice and sit down. If you can't get along with my brother, I'm going to have to give you another job to do… something much more… backbreaking... than what you've got now."

Jet, who had previously been standing behind Azula's chair, sat down next to her, looking very much like a sullen child as he did so. He looked down at his breakfast and immediately started salivating. For the first time for as long as he could remember, he was going to eat solid food. Not caring at all about manners or how he would look to the Fire Lord's children, Jet dug into his meal. Even though he was sure that anything would taste good after so many days of prison rations, this Fire Nation food was delicious.

As Jet finished his first plate and asked one of the servers as politely as he could for a second, Azula and her brother exchanged small talk. Jet didn't understand too much of it, and Azula seemed a whole lot more at ease in his presence than Zuko did, though his restlessness could have been a result of their various subjects of conversation rather than Jet's being there. Among other things, they talked about 'Uncle', a girl named Mai and their father. Jet said nothing because he had nothing to add –well, that and because the food was so good he always had some in his mouth.

Zuko left shortly before Azula announced that she was satisfied. Jet looked at her like she was crazy. "But you've only had one plate!" he pointed out.

Azula raised an eyebrow. Clearly, she hadn't expected her new charge to eat like a starving sky bison. "Jet, how many servings have you had?"

"This is my third," Jet answered proudly, shoving another forkful into his mouth as he did so.

"Charming," Azula replied, rolling her eyes and standing up. Resting a hand on the back of her chair, she looked down at him and ordered him to do the same. "I don't have time to sit here while you eat us out of house and home. You do realize that we eat more than one meal a day here, don't you?"

That was something that Jet hadn't thought of. He would get _more_ of this delicious food for lunch and dinner, so there was no reason to gorge himself at breakfast. He sighed and swallowed, setting his fork down on his unfinished third plate and standing up to meet the princess. "Fine," he agreed, resignedly. "What now?"

The rest of the day –and many of the days after that- was spent following the princess around as she fulfilled her various duties and even engaged in some activities as frivolous as spending time with her friends: a pretty acrobat with a long brown braid and a gloomy raven-haired girl who sighed a lot. Jet found, however, that Azula spent most of her time practicing her firebending.

He took an interest in watching her practice, amazed by the way that she moved. She was extremely fast, and Jet speculated that she often used that speed to her advantage. By the look of the girl, she wasn't very strong, or at least not stronger than some of the buff earthbenders she must have had to take down in Ba Sing Se. Her fire itself was _blue_, not red or orange but _blue_. Jet wondered if there was a reason for her being the only person in the world who bent blue fire. He speculated that it could be connected to her bending lightning, but decided that that was unlikely. Surely she wasn't the only person in the world who could do that too. He watched her with rapt attention every day, and every day he was amazed by her mesmerizing firebending.

A week passed in such a manner, and Jet amused himself by poking gentle fun at the fearsome Fire Princess. For the most part, she seemed glad for someone which whom she could verbally spar. She had a quick tongue, and Jet enjoyed exchanging insults with her. He relaxed and flirted with her, but he didn't touch her again. Princess Azula didn't like to be touched.

As time went by, Jet began to realize that live in the Fire Nation royal palace wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. He was treated just like the rest of the servants, who weren't treated all that badly –except when Azula was involved. The girl was quick to anger and slow to forgive, and Jet witnessed her shouting at several of her ladies' maids one time because they hadn't folded her towels correctly. Thankfully, she didn't give him many tasks to perform, so he didn't have many opportunities to screw things up. Most of the time, he just followed her around and brought her things that she wanted. Whenever he began to question why she really needed him around, he came to the conclusion that she was just lonely. Even though she had friends, Jet noticed that her relationship with Mai and Ty Lee was much different from what he had had with Smellerbee and Longshot. She was far too controlling.

But Jet did not regret his decision to give in to the princess' demands. Rather than dying at the hand of the Fire Princess, he was living a pretty comfortable life.

One day, while Azula was practicing her fire and lightning bending out in the courtyard, Jet took the opportunity to go through some of his own drills and exercises. Azula had made it clear that she expected him to defend her if ever she were attacked (even though she was fully capable of defending herself). Jet didn't want to be caught out of shape if ever the time came. He started out with some preliminary stretches, then went through the motions of using his twin hooks even though he was unarmed. He wasn't nearly as fast and graceful as Princess Azula, but he was certainly good enough to catch her attention.

She paused in the middle of one of her advanced moves, standing there with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him. When he finished a particularly complicated drill, she clapped, slowly and heavily, in a manner that was almost mocking. Jet stopped, straightened and looked over at her. "Very good, Jet," she said with a mischievous smile. "I can see that my brother wasn't exaggerating; you do seem to be a fair fighter."

He gave her a cocky grin. "I'm glad I meet with your approval, _Your Highness_," he teased. "I would just be so broken up if you didn't approve. You know how much I value your opinion." Even though he meant it as a joke, Jet realized after he said it that he wasn't really kidding. He really did care what Azula thought of him.

"I'm glad you feel that way," she replied, "because your future is entirely in my hands." Then Azula sighed and waved her hand like she were dismissing a particularly irksome servant. "But that's not the point right now," she went on. "I think it would be a good idea for you to fight _me_, right here, right now." Jet tried to hide his original fright at the idea of having her direct that nasty firebending at _him_, but Azula must have seen it flash across his face. She shook her head without laughing and explained, "I promise I won't firebend at you. I just want a change of pace. Believe it or not, training alone gets old very quickly."

Jet sighed, knowing that he really couldn't refuse and keep his pride intact, especially after she said she wouldn't use firebending against him. She would think that he was afraid of her, which was partly the case. He just didn't think that it was such a good idea. Minus her bending, Jet doubted that she would be much of an opponent even though she was much faster than he was. He didn't want to hurt her. However, he knew that voicing his concern out loud would only get her angry. Azula was just plain scary when she was angry; Jet knew it first hand. "Fine," he agreed. "You don't firebend, I won't hurt you so badly."

Now she laughed, falling into a fighting stance before the last notes of her amusement left her throat. "Oh, believe me, Jet," she challenged, "You don't have to worry about hurting me."

"We'll see," Jet answered, grinning as he too poised himself to strike. He ran at the Fire Lord's daughter, and the match began.

Jet had been right about one thing, he realized soon enough. Azula used her superior speed against him, parrying and jumping out of the way of every punch and kick he sent going her way. Only several minutes into their scrimmage, he could feel the sweat rolling down his face under the heat of the midday Fire Nation sun. "What's the matter?" Azula taunted, dancing out of his way once again. "If you can't take the heat, get out of the ring."

Jet grunted in response and charged at her as fast as he could, anticipating her escape and getting there first to cut her off. His foot connected with her ankle, effectively tripping her. Azula staggered and almost fell but righted herself in time. Jet, however, took the opportunity to attack her again, swinging his fist around toward her face. Azula ducked just in time, and then came the part that Jet had not been expecting. She punched him in the stomach, hard –much harder than he had previously thought possible.

He didn't let it distract him, however, knowing that she would only seize the chance to take him down. He couldn't afford to lose to her; she would lord it over him for weeks, maybe even months. There would be no living with her if she beat him –he was supposed to be her bodyguard! He kept fighting, and the match proceeded in that matter for over a quarter of an hour, then it turned in Jet's favor.

A kick of Azula's knocked his legs out from under him, and he began to fall toward the ground. However, he noticed at almost the last minute that her ankle was dangerously close to his outstretched fingers. Acting on instinct, he grabbed it, pulled and caught his opponent by surprise. Azula yelped and hit the ground hard; Jet moved quickly to recover before she did. He scrambled over to her and pinned her to the ground beneath him, holding her wrists with his hands.

They stayed in that position for what seemed like a long time to Jet. Both of them were breathing heavily, and their faces were tantalizingly close. Jet stared down at the princess, his master, with a crooked grin of victory, and Azula returned his gaze with a surprised, yet not angry or sullen, expression.

"It looks like I win," Jet breathed triumphantly without moving or releasing Azula.

Azula smiled that wickedly devious smile that Jet had grown a certain liking for. "I wouldn't count on it," she informed him arrogantly. Then, her hands began to grow hot on Jet's, and he released her in a hurry, getting away just in time to avoid being fried to a crisp by that creepy blue fire of hers.

"You said no firebending!" he shouted indignantly as he rose to his feet and watched her stand up as well.

Azula laughed, shaking her head like he was just being silly. "I lied," she explained simply, with an innocent shrug of her shoulders. "Do yourself a favor and don't trust me, Jet. You'll just get hurt."

She brushed herself off and started back for the palace; Jet followed her like a homeless puppy, grumbling under his breath the whole way that she had cheated and that he had actually beaten her. Suddenly, however, he realized that he would have done the same thing in her place. Since when did _he_ play by the rules? Was he not planning to seduce her in order to gain her trust and the opportunity to escape the Fire Nation? It was funny how he so easily forgot about his plan when he was spending so much time with Princess Azula. Could it be that Jet had finally found something that he liked more than freedom and rebellion?


	5. A Vacation to the Beach

Well, I don't really have much to say this time... except that I hope I handled this chapter well enough.

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER FIVE: A VACATION TO THE BEACH**

The next day, Azula announced that she would be taking a short vacation to Ember Island with her friends and her brother. Naturally, Jet was both expected and obligated to tag along –not that he was complaining. He wanted to really talk to Azula after their duel the day before. Hopefully, this trip to the beach would give him the chance to catch her away from all of the ambition and responsibility that beset her in the Fire Nation capital. He wanted to get to know Azula, not the Fire Lord's daughter.

Jet didn't find out until they were well on their way that the small group wasn't going away to Ember Island by choice, but on orders from the Fire Lord himself. Apparently, Ozai wanted to meet with his advisors alone without the ambitious Azula and sullen Zuko hanging around in the wings. Neither sibling seemed especially keen on the idea of going to the beach, but Jet couldn't see why. Aside from his hatred of the Fire Nation, there was nothing keeping him from looking forward to relaxing on an island –especially considering that it was better than relaxing in a prison cell.

"Doing nothing is a waste of time," Zuko explained grumpily from the ship's balustrade. "We're being sent away on a forced vacation. I feel like a child."

"Lighten up," countered Azula, standing just in front of Jet, who lingered in the background like a proper bodyguard should even though he was convinced that he wasn't a bodyguard but a friendly companion. "So dad wants to meet with his advisors alone, without anyone else around. Don't take it personally."

Zuko didn't look convinced, and Jet laughed. "You guys all take yourselves too seriously, right Ty Lee?" he said, glancing over at the only other one of them who seemed ready to have a good time. "All work and no play make Zuzu a dull boy."

Zuko spun around and glared at him vehemently, but Jet continued to grin. "Don't call me that!" he shouted much more loudly than was necessary.

"Fine," Jet agreed, clearly intent on continuing to tease him. "Would you prefer Li better? Or how about Junior?"

"Stop it, Jet," Azula ordered, though it was clear that she was getting just as much of a kick out of teasing Zuko as Jet was. She turned her head halfway around to see him out of the corner of her eye. "Zuzu's not worth your talents. If he just wants to mope around all weekend, then let him."

Jet rolled his eyes but closed his mouth and said nothing more to irritate the Fire Prince. He wasn't nearly as interested in pissing off Azula as he was in bothering her brother. He knew that Azula could easily get rid of him if he pushed her too far, and nobody else would do anything to stop her. However, he was fairly certain that he could take Zuko, and, if he couldn't, Azula wouldn't let her brother hurt her pet warrior –would she?

The five of them were staying at the small home of Li and Lo, two identical old women who still fancied themselves young and beautiful enough to wear swimsuits without shame and seemed convinced that Ember Island was a magical place. To that particular notion, Jet turned up his nose; there was no such thing as magic. If anything was going to help them understand each other, it would be the fact that they were away from the stresses and duties of the court and Fire Lord Ozai's war.

The beach was full of Fire Nation youth who didn't seem to be aware of the state of the world or the fact that they were at war. The scene laid out on Ember Island was so far removed from the devastation and destruction of the war that Jet was sure that he would be able to separate Azula from it and talk to her like a normal teenager. Once they arrived, however, they were all pulled in separate directions. Mai and Zuko huddled under an umbrella like they would burst into flames if the sun touched their fair skin. Ty Lee was occupied in entertaining a court of boys who were practically tripping over themselves to please her. Even Jet soon found himself surrounded by a crowd of drooling girls.

He couldn't help himself from showing off his trademark crooked grin, the one that had won over Katara and countless other girls before her but had yet to crack Azula. His fan club laughed at everything he said and stumbled over themselves to tell him their various names. Jet smugly refused to give any of them special attention, intent on leaving them to compete for his affections.

Azula, he was pleased to notice, didn't seem at all happy about his fangirls. Almost green with envy, she stomped over and yanked Jet away from the other girls, giving them all her characteristic chilling glare. "Get lost, idiots," she snapped, dragging a very happy Jet off in the other direction. "He's mine!"

"What was that about?" Jet asked with a knowing smile after she finally released her vice grip on his arm. "You weren't very nice, Princess."

Azula was still leering jealously in the direction of the horde of girls that had tried to steal Jet. Arms crossed over her chest, she turned back to him with a very irritated expression. "What would have happened if someone tried to do away with me?" she demanded. "You are _supposed_ to be protecting me!"

Jet laughed, unable to take any of what she was saying seriously. "I reckon you would be able to hold off any of _these_ people, Princess," he answered. "I mean… what could they do? Kick sand at you?" He chuckled again, giving her a knowing look. "I know what this is about. You're jealous. Admit it."

"_Jealous_?" Azula demanded, outraged and shocked by his accusation. "What can I possibly have to be jealous of? I have everything that I want. _Everything_. These people are nothing to me."

Jet rolled his eyes and shook his head, saying only, "I have an idea," and choosing not to push the issue any further. Did she really think that he didn't see what she wanted and needed? That she had never known love and that she was starving for a real friend? That she was incredibly lonely and desperately in need of someone who understood her? Maybe she didn't even realize it herself, Jet thought. However, he knew –no matter how many times she denied it- that she _had_ been jealous just then. He would have felt the same way if he had seen her in the company of several boys –not that he would ever admit it or anything.

The rest of the day on the beach was spent playing volleyball with another group of Fire Nation teenagers; it had been Azula's idea, and that was when Jet gave up all hope of separating her from the war. She analyzed the game like it was a battle and mercilessly exploited the other team to crush them in a terrible display of bad sportsmanship. Though he wanted her to relax and chill out, Jet couldn't deny that the fiery intensity with which she attacked everything she did was attractive. She was the most competitive girl he had ever met, and she scared him silly sometimes, yet he wanted her so badly despite his loathing of the Fire Nation. It was inexplicable, these feelings he had for her.

They returned to Lo and Li's house for dinner with an invitation to a party that evening. Well, technically only Ty Lee, Mai and Jet had been invited. Azula had invited herself and her brother. Jet couldn't help but notice that the Fire Lord's children were hardly at ease around their peers. Jet, who was, for the most part, a relaxed, cool guy, pitied them. The group ate dinner and then got changed for the party, Jet borrowing something of Zuko's.

They were the first to arrive at Chan's house, and their host was somewhat taken aback by Azula when she explained that they were the perfect party guests because they were very punctual. When she tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to flirt with the guy, it was Jet's turn to be jealous, and he didn't like it one bit. Jet _made_ people jealous; he didn't just _get_ jealous. It was a feeling that he wasn't very familiar with, and definitely something that he didn't want to experience again. He said nothing, fearing that his voice would betray him to Azula, and instead walked away wordlessly.

It wasn't long before he was surrounded once more by a crowd of pretty girls smiling and flirting with him. Of course, Jet grinned that deviously lop-sided grin that they wanted to see and flirted back with them without giving any individual more attention than the others. Even though he wasn't Fire Nation, Jet knew how to deal with girls, and he liked the attention that he received. This time, Azula didn't storm in and drag him away.

It was some time before Jet noticed it; he had kind of gotten caught up in all of the attention and praise that he was receiving. To the dismay of his fan club, he looked around for the princess and, finding her nowhere, extricated himself from the mob and called out to Ty Lee, who he could see was having similar problems. "Where's Azula?" he asked.

"Balcony," Ty Lee answered, pointing towards a set of doors.

Well, Jet thought, a balcony was an awfully romantic place for a talk. It would be the perfect opportunity to get to know her better and perhaps even let her know how he felt about her. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, Jet walked toward the balcony, passing a very freaked out looking Chan on his way. Confused, he paused and watched their host walk off in the other direction. What the hell had Azula done to the poor kid? he wondered silently and thought again about whether or not he wanted to talk to the most intense girl on the planet right at that moment. Sighing heavily, Jet walked out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him.

Azula was there, leaning over the railing and looking more depressed and confused than Jet had ever seen her. Hearing him come onto the balcony behind her, she turned around and narrowed her eyes, apparently not too happy to see him. "What do you want now, Jet?" she snapped. "Isn't your harem missing you?"

Ouch. Jet felt her words like a punch in the stomach. Maybe he should have been a little more sensitive to Azula's latent jealousy from that morning and kept the crowds down to a minimum. He already knew that she was trying to make him jealous… had that been what being out here with Chan had been about? His face fell, but he took the place at the railing next to her anyway. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned. "What happened?"

She turned away from him, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "If you must know," she said imperiously, "I just kissed Chan."

Jet raised his eyebrows, an angry wave of jealousy passing over his face before he could control it. Funny, Chan hadn't _looked_ like a boy who had just kissed a pretty girl. He looked like someone had just done something horrible to him. Obviously, Azula was not telling him everything, yet he didn't have the heart to tell her that he realized that. Instead, he leaned casually against the railing and said, "Then Chan's lucky. You're a very beautiful girl, Azula."

Azula raised an eyebrow skeptically and snorted. "I know," she sulked, "but why does everyone treat me like a bomb about to explode? And why does everyone hang all over you and Ty Lee? Why am I any different? And why do I have to explain myself to you?" As she went on, Azula became more and more frantic, until she was practically screaming her questions indignantly.

Jet sighed heavily and looked over at her, knowing that it was because she wasn't like Ty Lee that he felt so enamored with her. He was so sorry that she didn't realize just what it was that made her special. He turned toward her, feeling the need to comfort her and make her feel appreciated. "Ty Lee and I," he began with a deep breath, "are very charismatic; people just like us by instinct. It's not something that we do consciously. But you're not like that –you're different. You are so passionate about everything, and there's nothing that can stop you from achieving your goals."

He paused and stepped toward her, reaching out with his hand for her. When she didn't recoil, he laid his hand on her shoulder. Rather than look at him, however, Azula stared moodily into the dark horizon. "That's why I like you, Azula," he confessed. "I admire your spirit, and your confidence is hot. Don't worry about Chan; he's just not strong enough to keep up with you."

"And I suppose you are," she replied, keeping her gaze determinedly toward the sea. "Strong enough, I mean. What makes you different from Chan?"

Jet stood behind her now, both hands on her shoulders. He leaned toward her, resting his chin on the top of her head and staring out at the beach beyond the balcony. "I'm not some spoiled Fire Nation teen," he answered. "I've had to fight for my life at the hands of the Fire Nation and the Dai Li –and at your hand. My parents were killed by the Fire Nation when I was eight. I know what real pain is, and I have felt real hate. I'm not shallow, and I can see how lonely you are, Azula."

He paused a moment, expecting a protest from the proud Fire Nation Princess, but Azula remained silent and continued to listen passively. Jet went on, "Your father uses you; you're just his most prized possession, not his daughter. He doesn't love you. Your mother is gone. You alienate your brother. You say you have friends, but you don't treat them like friends. You dominate them by fear. You dominate everyone by fear."

"I am not my father's pawn," Azula hissed defensively, but she did not move to break away from Jet's touch. "My father loves me. My father is the only one who loves me. Don't you dare insult him, he is all I have."

"No," Jet answered confidently. He lifted his head from hers and spun her around, forcing her to look at him. Somehow, she either didn't see what he did or she chose not to believe it. "You have me now. _I_ love you." Then he brought his hand to her chin and kissed her to prove his point. He didn't know how else to get her to take him seriously, for he _was_ being serious. There was no joking around anymore.

He felt her stiffen almost immediately, as if she were instinctively resisting the thought of ever being close to another human being. She brought a hand to his chest, clenching it into a tense fist like she wanted to beat him for his boldness. Anticipating that she would try to pull away from him, Jet quickly caught her by the waist, preventing any easy escape. Of course, he knew that she could easily get away from him if she wanted to—with blue fire and lightning, not doubt—but he hoped that he could force her to hesitate and consider what he was saying. Oddly enough, it seemed to be working. Her lips were cold as stone against his, but she didn't try to get away.

"Relax," he urged her softly, breaking the kiss after a short moment.

She was trying to relax, it seemed, taking deep breaths to calm herself down—or to keep herself from losing control and zapping him off the island. Her eyes were clamped shut, and her eyebrows were tightly furrowed like she was deep in concentration. "Let go of me, Jet," she ordered, grinding her teeth together. "Let go of me now."

Jet sighed heavily, reluctantly taking his hands off her and stepping backward to give Azula the space that she appeared to want. Nonplussed, he ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry," he apologized half-heartedly, only saying it because he thought it might help to calm her down. He hadn't meant to get her so worked up, but it was clear by the way that she looked at him when she opened her golden eyes that that was exactly what he had done.

She glared at him for a quick moment, then turned around to stand at the railing with her back facing him. Jet watched her as she stood there, her body silhouetted against the stars as her lovely black hair fanned out in the coastal wind. "If you ever touch me without my permission again," she began, trying to sound as menacing as she possibly could. However, Jet thought he detected a quaver in her usually steady and confident voice. "I will quickly remember the painful death I used to have planned for you. Now," she paused, and Jet saw her shoulders rise as she took a deep breath, "leave me."

He hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not pushing the envelope would compel her to show off some of that fancy firebending again. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it with a defeated sigh as he decided against disobeying her. She was angry (at what, he couldn't say) and probably a bit conflicted. Yet, Jet was a persistent boy, and he knew even as he turned away to return to the party that he wouldn't give up—and not just because he was still looking for a way out of eternal servitude in the Fire Nation. He would keep his eyes open for another opportunity… and try again.

Before Jet could reach the double doors that connected the balcony and the rest of the house, they opened from the other side, revealing one of the girls who had been following Jet around like a lost puppy earlier that evening. She was pretty, but Jet remembered that she was an airhead if ever there was one, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her, knowing full well that Azula was about to get angrier.

"Jet," she pouted, just as Jet himself dashed forward to try to stop her from saying anything else. He was, however, too slow to keep her from continuing. "What are you doing out here?" she demanded, glancing suspiciously at Azula's back.

But she wasn't looking at Azula's back for very long.

Jet physically flinched as he watched the Fire Princess spin around, moving almost too quickly for her movement to be detected by the human eye. Eyes narrowed and lips pursed, Azula advanced furiously on the two of them. "Yes, _Jet_," she snarled, blue fire forming around her tightly clenched fists. "What _are_ you doing out here? Why on _earth_ would you come out here with _me_ when you could be spending time with this pathetic waste of a life?"

The other girl, scared out of her wits and trembling, hid herself behind Jet's brawny body, but he shook her off, casting her a disgusted look before turning back to face Azula. The only light on the balcony came from the blue fire in her hands, and it reflected eerily on her face, making her look like some kind of ghostly enchantress. He took a deep breath and mentally braced himself to spar with the Fire Lord's daughter.

"I don't know, Azula!" he shouted back, determined to stand his ground. "Maybe it's because I actually really like you! Though, I certainly don't know why, seeing as how all you do is insult me! But clearly the fact that I _did_ choose you means absolutely nothing!"

She laughed bitterly in reply, raising her right hand, alight with flames, as if to threaten him. "You think I don't see through you?" she challenged, gold eyes shining fiercely. "You're just like everyone else! You don't really like me—you just want my power! You want to use me! I'm not going to fall for it, Jet! Now. Get. Out. Of. My. Sight."

He just barely ducked in time to avoid that dangerous fireball that she sent flying toward his head. It hit the wall behind him, igniting it and effectively starting a fire. Jet glared at her, equally infuriated now, before turning back to the ditz of a girl that started the whole fight. "Come on," he muttered, putting a hand on her shaking shoulder and leading her back inside. "Someone ought to tell Chan his house is on fire." Not once did he look back at Azula. If he had, he would have seen the angry hurt in her expression, and perhaps he would have been motivated to stay.


	6. A Silent Night

All right, guys... I'm sorry it took so long to get this up, but I was experiencing a bit of writer's block. I hope you're pleased with this. :)

**TRIAL BY FIRE**

**CHAPTER SIX: A SILENT NIGHT**

Azula remained outside for a little while longer, and Jet didn't even see her come in when Chan and some of his friends went outside to try to put out the fire that she'd started. Though, Jet didn't tell their host that Azula was responsible for the damages. He was angry and irritated with her, but he did have _some_ class. Besides, these mindless party-goers had no reason to know about what had passed between them. What went on between him and the Fire Lord's daughter was none of their business.

When he returned to the party, Jet didn't know what to do with himself. Suddenly, he was in no mood to socialize, and the thought of entertaining the stupid girl clinging to his arm made his stomach turn. He looked around for help in vain. Zuko, he noticed, seemed to have disappeared; Mai was trying to ignore one of Chan's friends in his absence, and Ty Lee seemed to be in her element with all of the attention she was getting. Jet sighed hopelessly and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair in frustration.

"Is something wrong?" the girl cooed, looking up at him with large eyes as she hung on his arm.

Jet looked down at her with a kind of tortured expression on his face as he disentangled himself from her, freeing his arm from her grasp. "Yeah, what's your name again?" he asked, exasperated.

"Kyou," she answered, disappointed—whether at the fact that he didn't remember her name or the implication that he was about to tell her to get lost Jet couldn't tell. The way she looked at him, like a little lost puppy dog, was starkly different from the way Azula looked at him.

"Look, Kyou," he began, letting out a deep breath as he did so. He wasn't in the mood to be charming, but he also didn't want to be a jerk. In reality, the scene with Azula wasn't Kyou's fault, and taking it out on her wasn't going to change what had happened or how Azula felt. Nevertheless, Jet didn't want her hanging on him for the rest of the night. In fact, he didn't want to stay at the party any longer than he had to. "Can you please just leave me alone?" he asked, hoping that she wouldn't be too upset. "I just… I just have a headache," he added, rubbing his temples appropriately.

Kyou narrowed her eyes and looked at him skeptically, she but didn't say anything to imply that she didn't believe him. "Fine," she muttered as she walked away, giving Jet one last wistful glance before rejoining her friends by the drinks.

After Kyou went and told her friends that he obviously wasn't in the mood to flirt with them anymore, Jet found himself alone and breathed a sigh of relief. Usually he was as into parties as anyone else and he loved attention just as much as Ty Lee. However, that particular evening was different, and, as he wandered over into a corner by himself, Jet asked himself why he had done it.

The surprising part wasn't that he had been flirting—or attempting to flirt—with a pretty girl. That was normal for him—it was expected. Besides, he was willing to do whatever he deemed necessary to achieve his goals… whether that meant destroying an innocent village or seducing a dangerous princess didn't matter. What surprised him was how honest he knew he had been. Azula might not have seen it because she was expecting people to try to use her for her power, but Jet realized just how much he had meant what he had said as he stood rather awkwardly in the corner of the large room full of his peers.

For crying out loud, he had said that he loved her! Where the hell had _that_ come from?

Maybe, he told himself, that he hadn't meant it in the way that one would have assumed. He had been talking about how her friends didn't love her and how not even her father really loved her. That's it, he continued to rationalize. He had meant that he really cared about her… something which he had also told her when she had turned on him. He had been honest, which was frightening to him, when he said that he loved her. However, things weren't as bad as they seemed. Because he wasn't _in_ love with her.

It didn't matter much, though. His plan was to leave her as soon as he got the chance. How could he do that if he had come to care about her? If he really, really had been as honest as he claimed to have been, then how could he justify betraying her trust by deserting her?

The same way he always justified his actions. On the surface, Jet appeared to have changed. He wore Fire Nation clothes, ate Fire Nation food and served the Fire Nation Princess. He even did it with a smile. That didn't mean that his deep-seated hatred for the Fire Nation had vanished. The way that he was being treated now didn't erase the fact that the Fire Nation had killed his parents, neither did his nascent feelings of concern and attraction for Azula. No matter what happened next, Jet knew that he had to get out. The Fire Nation was just as treacherous and unpredictable as its princess, and he had been foolish to forget it.

How long would it be before they turned on him? Who knew what Azula would do in her rage?

No, his life depended on his escape, as did his conscience and his honor. He wouldn't fight for the Fire Nation. His original plan still stood, and he wouldn't let these stupid feelings get in the way. He would earn Azula's trust and then he would escape. It was that simple.

"Mai. Ty Lee. Come on. We're leaving."

Jet looked up suddenly, broken out of his reverie by the commanding voice that he knew so well. He told himself that it was habit that made him respond immediately to Azula's voice rather some troublesome emotion. He hadn't noticed her coming back into the house, but he could tell by the look on her face as she gathered up her friends that she was in no better mood than the one in which he had left her.

"Finally," Mai sighed as she stood up and walked away from Chan's friend, whose name Jet hadn't caught, clearly impatient to leave the party. He watched as Azula turned on Ty Lee, who was having a hard time extricating herself from her admirers. Azula gritted her teeth in frustration and physically dragged the acrobat away from the crowd of disappointed teenaged boys.

"Wait!" Ty Lee exclaimed, suddenly remembering that they were forgetting something. "What about Jet?"

Azula, predictably enough, didn't even bat an eyelash. She neither slowed her pace nor looked back before they reached the door. Pausing in the doorframe, she locked eyes with Jet across the room, and he stood a little straighter in surprise. "What about him?" she asked in a cold, calm voice that sent chills down his unsuspecting spine. Then she turned again and disappeared into the night, her friends following her without another argument.

For goodness's sake, Jet thought slowly as he watched her leave, why did she have to be so hot?

He didn't linger at the party for much longer than that, as he soon realized that he had no purpose there at all without Azula or her friends. He didn't know anyone else in the Fire Nation, and he was half afraid that Kyou and her friends were going to jump him again if he stayed around for too long even though he had clearly expressed his lack of interest. Besides, the noise was actually starting to give him a real headache, and he really just wanted to go back to Lo and Li's house and lie down.

He found his way back from Chan's without too much trouble. Once or twice, he took a wrong turn, but the night was cool and quiet so he didn't mind much. It was late by the time he undressed and crawled into his bed in the room he was sharing with Zuko, but neither Azula nor her friends had returned yet. Drained both mentally and physically, Jet fell asleep easily, listening to the soothing sounds of the beach as he closed his eyes. He slept soundly and, for the first time since his arrival in the Fire Nation, did not dream of Princess Azula.

Later that night—or perhaps it was already very early in the morning—Jet stirred in his bed, awakened by the return the others. Zuko was there, making no attempt to be quiet and not wake him as he got ready to turn in himself. Wordlessly, Jet glared at his temporary room mate and rolled over, trying to get back to sleep. Several minutes passed, however, before he realized that his attempts were futile. Moreover, he was thirsty. Sighing heavily in annoyance, Jet got up and walked out of the room without a second glance at the Prince.

The first time he passed by the girls' room on his way to the kitchen he heard nothing at all. In fact, the whole house was silent. Lo and Li had retired ages ago, and he supposed that Azula, Mai and Ty Lee were tired after staying out so late. However, when he returned with a glass of water, he heard hushed voices—one of which was definitely Azula's. He paused in the hall outside their door, weighing the risks of getting caught eavesdropping. After a few seconds' hesitation, Jet decided that it was worth the risk to hear what they were talking about. He was dying to know what they had done after leaving the party.

"Did you laugh at his jokes?" That was Ty Lee, speaking quietly in a hushed tone. Jet pressed his ear up against the door, trying his hardest to breathe as silently as he could.

"Of course," came Azula's reply. Jet couldn't decide if she sounded bitter or sad.

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know." There was a pause, and Jet heard someone moving. Perhaps Ty Lee had gone to sit at the foot of Azula's bed. "He kissed me but then… I guess I just lost my head."

Jet narrowed his eyes. They were talking about Chan. He was willing to bet on it. He had kissed Azula too, but he hadn't told any jokes for her to laugh at. It had to be Chan. If there was a third player in this game, he wouldn't know what to do with his jealousy.

"What about Jet?" asked Ty Lee, sounding hopeful. "He went out there to see you, didn't he? What happened with him? Why didn't you want him to come with us?"

There was a long, tense pause, during which Jet practically held his breath. Finally, Azula's cold voice cut through the dark silence of the night. "He can't be trusted, Ty Lee. He's my prisoner, remember? He acts like he likes me, sure. But what does he really want? He wants to destroy the Fire Nation. He wants my power."

Outside the door, Jet bit his tongue so hard that it started to bleed in his mouth as he tried to keep himself from doing something stupid to manifest his anger. He wanted to punch the wall or burst into the girls' bedroom and tell Azula that she was wrong—even though she wasn't completely mistaken. He wanted to destroy the Fire Nation, yes, but he also wanted _her_.

"I think you might be wrong about that, Azula," Ty Lee said softly. "I think he cares about you."

Jet made a mental note to do something nice for Ty Lee later.

"And what would you know?" Azula snapped, raising her voice defensively. "You don't know anything."

"Yes, I do," Ty Lee insisted soothingly. "And I know you, Azula. You've got to stop being so damn paranoid and closed off to everyone. I think the idea of actually liking Jet scares you. A lot."

There was another long pause, during which Jet closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. He really needed to do something really nice for Ty Lee the next chance he got. "Nothing scares me," Azula replied, though she sounded thoughtful and almost… afraid?

"Will you two get to sleep already?" a third voice, Mai, demanded. "It's late, and I'm tired."

After that, Jet heard the telltale sounds of rustling sheets, and he concluded that that was the end of Azula and Ty Lee's conversation. Having almost forgotten his glass of water, he crept back along the hallway and returned to the room he was sharing with Zuko, who was already sleeping soundly. Sitting on his bed, Jet downed the rest of his drink before crawling back beneath the covers himself. He laid awake for some time after that, mulling over Azula's words in his head as he stared at the wall. When he finally did fall asleep, he dreamed of killing Chan.


End file.
